We Always Will Remember Our Friend, Tom Rashid
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 8, 2021
In these days following the death of Thomas Rashid, many mourning across Michigan have recalled the late MHSAA Associate Director as truly one of a kind – both in his work, which has had as significant an impact on the day-to-day processes and policies of school sports as anyone’s in this state’s history, and as a person who made everyone feel like a close friend moments after first meeting him.
We are glad to pass on tributes that have been made to him this week, as well as his visitation and funeral arrangements and a video interview with Tom that has provided us great comfort this week as we remember our friend – who also played roles as leader, mentor, advisor, supporter, consoler and many more through the years.
Visitation will take place from 4-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10, at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes in East Lansing, and will include a Rosary service at 7 p.m. Visitation also will take place Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in East Lansing, with the funeral Mass to follow at noon – Click for details. Saturday’s Mass also will be streamed live on the Diocese of Lansing’s Outreach Mass YouTube feed – Click to watch.
Tom always felt the focus should be on students and what they could learn from school sports – with the beauty of that philosophy meshing well with how his vast contributions mostly took place away from the spotlight. Deservedly so, it’s been shined on his legacy this week:
Obituary | Detroit Free Press | Detroit News | Detroit Catholic | MHSAA
On a related note, in lieu of flowers, the family has suggested donations including to the Thomas Rashid and Vic Michaels Scholarship Fund for Catholic student athletes at the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan – Click to learn more.
We have been thankful this week for these 36 minutes to hear Tom’s voice again – this video from Michigan Lacrosse Review, an interview with Greg Normand after Tom was selected for the Michigan High School Lacrosse Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2018 – is Tom to a T as he, in his own words, explained what drove his life’s work.
Boyne City Public Schools Receives MIAAA's Exemplary Athletic Program Award
February 3, 2026
The Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAAA) has named Boyne City Public Schools as a recipient of the 2026 MIAAA Exemplary Athletic Program Award.
The award will be formally presented to Boyne City athletic director Matt Windle on March 15 during the MIAAA Annual Business Meeting at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa.
Established in 1998, the MIAAA Exemplary Athletic Program Award recognizes high school athletic programs across Michigan that model excellence, equity, and educationally sound practices. The program was created to identify and publicly recognize outstanding athletic programs, provide a framework for voluntary self-assessment, promote the sharing of best practices statewide, and encourage continued improvement in Michigan’s high school athletic programs.
Boyne City Public Schools becomes the 24th athletic program recognized over the past 25 years and only the 14th program honored during the last two decades, underscoring the selectivity and prestige of the Exemplary Athletic Program Award.
As part of the evaluation process, the MIAAA Exemplary Athletic Program Committee conducted a three-day on-site visit in the fall, meeting with district administrators, coaches, student-athletes, parents, and support staff. The visit provided committee members with the opportunity to review and share Boyne City’s vision, goals, and systems supporting a comprehensive, equitable, and education-based athletic program.
Boyne City athletics was selected following a thorough assessment and review process examining program structure, leadership practices, equity initiatives, sportsmanship, and the ways in which the athletic program serves its various constituents. Exemplary programs demonstrate sustained success in advancing the emotional, social, moral, and physical growth of all participants while reinforcing the core values of interscholastic athletics.
The 2026 recognition places Boyne City Public Schools among a distinguished group of athletic programs statewide that have demonstrated consistent excellence since the award’s inception.
Boyne City athletic director Matt Windle said of the award: “This recognition reflects the collective effort of so many people who care deeply about providing meaningful opportunities for our student-athletes. Our coaches, staff, administrators, families, and community consistently put students first and work together to create an environment rooted in growth, accountability, and support.
“We are proud of the culture that exists within Boyne City athletics and grateful for the opportunity to serve students through education-based athletics.”
(Photos by Kishba Media.)